- The APS Reform agenda–putting strong foundations in place for a world-class and future fit Australian Public Service that delivers better outcomes for the community and contributes to a fairer and more inclusive Australia.
- The Prime Minister has put in place a robust Code of Conduct[1] which requires Ministers to act with due regard for integrity and legality, fairness, accountability, responsibility and the public interest; and underscores that Ministers are accountable for the exercise of their powers and functions to the Parliament and to the public.
- Strengthening Australia's public sector whistleblowing framework and achieving strong, effective and accessible whistleblower protections in two stages (with the first stage of reform commencing from 1 July 2023).
- The abolition and replacement of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal–a landmark reform that will lead to the creation of a new system of administrative review that is user-focussed, efficient, accessible and fair.
In addition, in response to recommendations of the Royal Commission, the Government is committed to:
- bringing forward legislative reforms to enhance the powers of the Commonwealth Ombudsman and impose statutory obligations on officials responding to Commonwealth Ombudsman investigations, and
- reinstating the Administrative Review Council to support ongoing improvements to administrative decision-making across government.
A Government committed to a strong social security safety net - Re-humanising the delivery of government payments
In the Royal Commission Report, Commissioner Holmes referred to the way in which Australians receiving income support payments have been stigmatised in recent years, explaining that they have been often made to feel "shame, oppression, isolation, and dehumanisation"[2]. By no means the only example, but perhaps the most infamous, occurred in December 2016 as the Robodebt scheme was being ramped up, when the then-Minister for Human Services Alan Tudge said on national television:
"We will find you, we will track you down, and you will have to repay those debts, and you may end up in prison."[3]
The Royal Commission called for politicians to lead a change in attitudes to people receiving income support payments, including abandoning the simple narrative of the taxpayer versus
- ↑ Australian Government Code of Conduct for Ministers, 8 July 2022.
- ↑ Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, Report, page 330.
- ↑ Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, Report, page 140.
